2013 Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Survey

KPMG and IBM also take top honors in annual Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Awards

New York (June 10, 2013) – Asia Society, a leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships among the United States and Asia, is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Awards, honoring companies at the forefront of promoting APAs and global diversity.

The companies were honored at Asia Society’s 5th Diversity Leadership Forum at New York’s Time Warner Center. They were selected based on the quality of their APA programs as well as the results from their employee surveys which made up Asia Society’s 2013 Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Survey, which explores the many facets of the APA employee experience. To see the survey press release click here.

“The awards highlight the great strides companies are making in supporting APA leadership and diversity, as well as the great value employers see in cultivating the APA community,” said Asia Society Executive Director Dr. Michael Kulma. “We commend top winners Goldman Sachs, KPMG, and IBM for their great work as well as those companies showing distinguished and noteworthy performances in this field.”

Goldman Sachs won this year’s top honor, “Overall Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans,” for providing an inclusive workplace that draws on APA talent. The firm also scored the top spot in the categories of “Best Company for Promoting APAs into Leadership Positions,” “Best Company for Support of the APA Community,” and “Best Company for Marketing & Appealing to APAs.”

“Goldman Sachs is honored and grateful to receive this important recognition,” said Chris Kojima, Managing Director and Asian Professionals Network Senior Sponsor. “The awards from Asia Society reflect the contributions of our people around the world, and demonstrate Goldman Sachs’ commitment to diversity as we serve our clients.”

KPMG came out on top in the categories of “Best Company with the Most Innovative Practices” and “Best Company for APAs to Develop Workforce Skills.”

“KPMG is honored that we continue to be recognized by the Asia Society for our efforts to ensure a career-enriching workplace for our Asian Pacific American professionals, and all our people,” said Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, National Managing Partner, Diversity and Corporate Responsibility. “We value the diversity they bring to our high-performance culture and the innovation that inclusion helps drive. For us, diversity and inclusion are a business competency that’s imperative to developing the next generation of global leaders.”

IBM won the top spot for “Best Company for Mentoring.”

“IBM is honored to be named Best Company for Mentoring for Asian Pacific Americans,” said Ron Glover, Vice President, Diversity and Workforce Policy. “Our focus on mentoring to drive innovation across geographies and business units continues to strengthen the talent and expertise of IBM's workforce and our value to clients.”

In addition to these winners, the judges chose honorees for “distinguished performance” and “noteworthy performance,” which noted the work of Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Freddie Mac, GE, Merck, and National Grid.

Some of the distinguished and noteworthy companies shared their thoughts on this year’s selection:

“Dell is excited and honored by Asia Society’s recognition for our efforts in creating an environment for our global team members to do their best work and to meet the aspirations of our customers,” said Lisa Mink, Chief Diversity Officer. “At Dell, we consider diversity and inclusion integral to our global business strategy and core to building enduring relationships for our team members and customers”.

“Freddie Mac is honored to be recognized by the Asia Society for our commitment to diversity and our efforts to help Asian Pacific Americans advance to the highest levels at Freddie Mac,” said Dwight Robinson, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Freddie Mac.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by the Asia Society for our work,” said Deborah Elam, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, GE. “I couldn’t be more proud of our Asian Pacific American Forum (APAF) which continues to grow, develop world-class leaders, contribute to the communities in which we live and work. GE is stronger because of APAF’s contribution.”

“National Grid is honored to be recognized by the Asia Society as the Best Company for Support of the Asian Pacific American Community,” said Kass Geraghty, Acting SVP, HR and CDO of National Grid. “We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which the diversity of our employees, customers and communities are celebrated, spreading cultural awareness and making a difference.”

Below is the full list of Award Winners, Distinguished Performances, and Noteworthy Performances for 2013:

Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders and institutions of the United States and Asia. The Society seeks to increase knowledge and enhance dialogue, encourage creative expression, and generate new ideas across the fields of arts and culture, policy and business, and education.

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